When I was in Chicagoland over the holidays, of course, I ate at Portillo’s. For the uninitiated, Portillo’s serves genuine Chicago hot dogs — a sesame seed bun, neon green relish, mustard, sport peppers, celery salt, onion, a pickle — and always with a pure Vienna Beef dog.
While I was waiting for my order, I noticed a plaque on the wall that recognized Portillo’s for its long partnership with Vienna Beef, naming them a “cherished part of the Vienna Beef Family” — no doubt because of the 250,000,000 hot dogs sold (and this was in 2014 before franchising!). The plaque went on to say that because of their long relationship, Vienna Beef was naming Smokehouse #1 the Portillo’s Smokehouse and it would remain that way as long as the company existed.
I’m sure in the Vienna Beef world, this is the highest honor they can bestow. The presence of the plaque in the restaurant nearly a decade later indicates to me that Dick Portillo recognized the significance of what they did to thank him.
Vienna Beef did not have to buy something fancy to show their appreciation to their best customer. They made a gesture and acknowledged the relationship in a way that was meaningful but not elaborate.
Take a moment to think about who is a major customer or collaborator for you — and then think of ways you can acknowledge the importance of your partnership. I suspect you don’t have a smokehouse to name, but surely you can find an appropriate way to let them know how much they mean to you and your organization.
